Gingerbread #15, Carob #20 + fresh blueberries + fresh pineapple
Story: Blaze Mafia Family
Title: First Name Basis
Prompts: Gingerbread #15: gold from straw, Carob #20: dedication + fresh blueberries (God grant me the courage not to give up what I think is right even though I think it is hopeless - Chester W. Nimitz) + fresh pineapple (I’m not the kind of girl/who gives up just like that - Tide is High by Atomic Kitten)
Rating: PG
Characters: Detective Harry Lancaster, Gwynn Kinsey
Summary: I’m not sure when in the timeline this happens, but I’m thinking sometime after the de Luca Arc. I loved today’s quote of the day for Lancaster so he’s going to get some attention, this time in a way that has nothing whatsoever to do with the Blazes. An attempt at fluff thanks to Nathalia for calling me out on my lack of it (Sorry, no Firebird/Paul this time!) XD
This wasn’t the first time that Lancaster had come across Gwynn Kinsey. He had an account at the bank where she worked as a trust officer; he’d seen her walking around in the back when he’d come to deposit his paycheck a couple times. It was just one of those things that cops did, noticing people, though he had to admit that he usually didn’t remember how people smiled when he was working. She had a nice smile. It was sincere.
He didn’t learn her name, though, before today. There’d been a robbery at the bank. Several safe deposit boxes had been opened and their contents swiped. Since safe deposit boxes were made so that random people couldn’t steal from them, Lancaster’s gut feeling said that this was an inside job. He was just one of a few detectives given the responsibility of interviewing the bank employees so it was pure luck that he was the one to interview her.
The interview wasn’t anything special. She’d been with a customer hammering out the details of a particularly complicated trust fund during the entire time period when the deposit boxes could have been broken into so her alibi was tight. Lancaster never crossed someone off his list of suspects without first looking into their alibis, but he was fairly certain that Gwynn Kinsey wasn’t the thief. She was too soft to be a criminal, and her distress at the turn of events was real.
Lancaster was just about to wind the interview down and move onto the next employee when Gwynn Kinsey blurted out, “Do you think you’ll be able to recover the stolen property, Detective?”
“We’ll do everything we can to,” Lancaster replied noncommittally.
She nodded even though that obviously didn’t console her. “It’s just...our customers trust us with their most prized possessions. I hate to disappoint them like this.”
“Ms. Kinsey,” Lancaster started.
“Gwynn,” she corrected.
Lancaster wasn’t going to call her that and break down the professional barrier between them but he didn’t want to offend her so he just forewent names altogether. “In all likelihood, there was nothing you could have done to stop the robbery. Don’t take responsibility for something that’s beyond your control.”
“That sounds like one of those things that’s easier said than done,” Gwynn said, a small smile softening her words.
“It is,” Lancaster replied, smiling too. “But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try anyway.”
Gwynn looked up at him and her smile widened into the one that he recognized. The sincere one that made well-used laugh lines appear at the corner of her eyes. “Thank you, Detective. That’s very kind advice. I’ll keep it in mind.”
- - - - - - - - - -
Gwynn Kinsey showed up at Lancaster’s office a few days later. He hadn’t expected to see her again. Her alibi had checked out as he’d expected it would so he’d moved onto more promising leads for the case. But here she was. She’d thought of something about that day that she wanted to tell him.
It turned out the information wasn’t overly useful, but then Gwynn had asked something about a picture on his desk and the conversation had turned to more personal matters without Lancaster even realizing it. They talked for almost twenty minutes on a variety of subjects, none of which had anything to do with the bank robbery. Lancaster was surprised to find how funny she was, she had a quick mind and a sharp wit and he got the feeling that most conversations with her would be entertaining ones.
“Uhm,” Gwynn threaded her fingers together and bit her bottom lip nervously. “Would you like to go get a coffee with me? I mean, not right now, I know you’re working. But...later, maybe?”
Yes, Lancaster would like to do that a great deal. There was nothing he would like more, actually. Gwynn wasn’t just a pretty face, not that Lancaster was discounting her fresh beauty. She was kind and funny and there was so much about her that appealed to Lancaster on a number of levels.
“Ms. Kinsey-”
“Gwynn,” she insisted.
“Ms. Kinsey,” Lancaster repeated, even though he didn’t like it. “I can’t. I’m still working the robbery case. If we ever found the person who stole all of those valuables, I don’t want them to get away because I might have a conflict of interest.”
“No, that’s okay,” Gwynn said quickly to cover up the awkwardness. “I don’t want that to happen either. Getting the customers’ valuables is the most important thing now.”
“I’m really sorry,” Lancaster started.
Gwynn cut him off with a shake of her head. “Don’t be. I’m glad you take your responsibilities so seriously. I admire that about you.”
She stood up and they had a quick, professional goodbye before Gwynn left. Lancaster sat back down in his seat and stared into space. He knew that he had done the right thing there, but there was an insistent voice in the back of his head that said if there was anyone to bend the rules a little for, it was Gwynn Kinsey.
- - - - - - - - - -
Lancaster's office door was already open but Gwynn still knocked.
“Ms. Kinsey,” Lancaster said in surprise, setting his pen down and giving her his full attention.
“Gwynn,” she corrected, then played nervously with the strap of her purse. “I mean, you can call me that now, right? They said on the news that the bank manager confessed to stealing everything, so that means you’re finished with the case?”
Lancaster nodded, then stopped because he felt like a stupid bobble-head doll. “There are a couple loose ends that I have to take care of before we can shut the book, but yes, the case is pretty much over.”
Gwynn’s smile flashed. “Then you can call me Gwynn.”
All Lancaster could do was blink as his brain stuttered. He wasn’t stupid, he knew that Gwynn was renewing her offer for a coffee date. It just surprised him. That had been weeks ago, and Lancaster had long given up hope that he would ever see her again without the barrier of the bank windows between them.
“I’m sorry,” she blurted out into the lengthening silence, her smile fading into a look of mild panic. “I don’t mean to push myself on you or anything. I just thought, well, I’ve never met a man as...sincere as you before and I didn’t want to let it go without at least taking a chance to see if there was anything between us. But that doesn’t mean you have to indulge me, I don’t want to be a pity date or anything like that and...oh, I’m rambling. I’m so sorry. I’ll go. Just forget this every happened.”
Gwynn’s face was pink with embarrassment as she turned away to hurry out of his office. That was the last thing that Lancaster wanted.
“Wait. Gwynn!” Lancaster stood up and rounded his desk. Gwynn turned back towards him and he stopped just a few feet away from her. “There’s this diner just down the street.” Lancaster blurted out, “The coffee’s not very good, but they make a pretty decent pecan pie.”
Gwynn’s smile reappeared and made Lancaster like he’d just done something amazing. “I cannot think of anything I would like more than a slice of pie, Detective.”
Lancaster grinned back at her. “Call me Harry.”
Title: First Name Basis
Prompts: Gingerbread #15: gold from straw, Carob #20: dedication + fresh blueberries (God grant me the courage not to give up what I think is right even though I think it is hopeless - Chester W. Nimitz) + fresh pineapple (I’m not the kind of girl/who gives up just like that - Tide is High by Atomic Kitten)
Rating: PG
Characters: Detective Harry Lancaster, Gwynn Kinsey
Summary: I’m not sure when in the timeline this happens, but I’m thinking sometime after the de Luca Arc. I loved today’s quote of the day for Lancaster so he’s going to get some attention, this time in a way that has nothing whatsoever to do with the Blazes. An attempt at fluff thanks to Nathalia for calling me out on my lack of it (Sorry, no Firebird/Paul this time!) XD
This wasn’t the first time that Lancaster had come across Gwynn Kinsey. He had an account at the bank where she worked as a trust officer; he’d seen her walking around in the back when he’d come to deposit his paycheck a couple times. It was just one of those things that cops did, noticing people, though he had to admit that he usually didn’t remember how people smiled when he was working. She had a nice smile. It was sincere.
He didn’t learn her name, though, before today. There’d been a robbery at the bank. Several safe deposit boxes had been opened and their contents swiped. Since safe deposit boxes were made so that random people couldn’t steal from them, Lancaster’s gut feeling said that this was an inside job. He was just one of a few detectives given the responsibility of interviewing the bank employees so it was pure luck that he was the one to interview her.
The interview wasn’t anything special. She’d been with a customer hammering out the details of a particularly complicated trust fund during the entire time period when the deposit boxes could have been broken into so her alibi was tight. Lancaster never crossed someone off his list of suspects without first looking into their alibis, but he was fairly certain that Gwynn Kinsey wasn’t the thief. She was too soft to be a criminal, and her distress at the turn of events was real.
Lancaster was just about to wind the interview down and move onto the next employee when Gwynn Kinsey blurted out, “Do you think you’ll be able to recover the stolen property, Detective?”
“We’ll do everything we can to,” Lancaster replied noncommittally.
She nodded even though that obviously didn’t console her. “It’s just...our customers trust us with their most prized possessions. I hate to disappoint them like this.”
“Ms. Kinsey,” Lancaster started.
“Gwynn,” she corrected.
Lancaster wasn’t going to call her that and break down the professional barrier between them but he didn’t want to offend her so he just forewent names altogether. “In all likelihood, there was nothing you could have done to stop the robbery. Don’t take responsibility for something that’s beyond your control.”
“That sounds like one of those things that’s easier said than done,” Gwynn said, a small smile softening her words.
“It is,” Lancaster replied, smiling too. “But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try anyway.”
Gwynn looked up at him and her smile widened into the one that he recognized. The sincere one that made well-used laugh lines appear at the corner of her eyes. “Thank you, Detective. That’s very kind advice. I’ll keep it in mind.”
- - - - - - - - - -
Gwynn Kinsey showed up at Lancaster’s office a few days later. He hadn’t expected to see her again. Her alibi had checked out as he’d expected it would so he’d moved onto more promising leads for the case. But here she was. She’d thought of something about that day that she wanted to tell him.
It turned out the information wasn’t overly useful, but then Gwynn had asked something about a picture on his desk and the conversation had turned to more personal matters without Lancaster even realizing it. They talked for almost twenty minutes on a variety of subjects, none of which had anything to do with the bank robbery. Lancaster was surprised to find how funny she was, she had a quick mind and a sharp wit and he got the feeling that most conversations with her would be entertaining ones.
“Uhm,” Gwynn threaded her fingers together and bit her bottom lip nervously. “Would you like to go get a coffee with me? I mean, not right now, I know you’re working. But...later, maybe?”
Yes, Lancaster would like to do that a great deal. There was nothing he would like more, actually. Gwynn wasn’t just a pretty face, not that Lancaster was discounting her fresh beauty. She was kind and funny and there was so much about her that appealed to Lancaster on a number of levels.
“Ms. Kinsey-”
“Gwynn,” she insisted.
“Ms. Kinsey,” Lancaster repeated, even though he didn’t like it. “I can’t. I’m still working the robbery case. If we ever found the person who stole all of those valuables, I don’t want them to get away because I might have a conflict of interest.”
“No, that’s okay,” Gwynn said quickly to cover up the awkwardness. “I don’t want that to happen either. Getting the customers’ valuables is the most important thing now.”
“I’m really sorry,” Lancaster started.
Gwynn cut him off with a shake of her head. “Don’t be. I’m glad you take your responsibilities so seriously. I admire that about you.”
She stood up and they had a quick, professional goodbye before Gwynn left. Lancaster sat back down in his seat and stared into space. He knew that he had done the right thing there, but there was an insistent voice in the back of his head that said if there was anyone to bend the rules a little for, it was Gwynn Kinsey.
- - - - - - - - - -
Lancaster's office door was already open but Gwynn still knocked.
“Ms. Kinsey,” Lancaster said in surprise, setting his pen down and giving her his full attention.
“Gwynn,” she corrected, then played nervously with the strap of her purse. “I mean, you can call me that now, right? They said on the news that the bank manager confessed to stealing everything, so that means you’re finished with the case?”
Lancaster nodded, then stopped because he felt like a stupid bobble-head doll. “There are a couple loose ends that I have to take care of before we can shut the book, but yes, the case is pretty much over.”
Gwynn’s smile flashed. “Then you can call me Gwynn.”
All Lancaster could do was blink as his brain stuttered. He wasn’t stupid, he knew that Gwynn was renewing her offer for a coffee date. It just surprised him. That had been weeks ago, and Lancaster had long given up hope that he would ever see her again without the barrier of the bank windows between them.
“I’m sorry,” she blurted out into the lengthening silence, her smile fading into a look of mild panic. “I don’t mean to push myself on you or anything. I just thought, well, I’ve never met a man as...sincere as you before and I didn’t want to let it go without at least taking a chance to see if there was anything between us. But that doesn’t mean you have to indulge me, I don’t want to be a pity date or anything like that and...oh, I’m rambling. I’m so sorry. I’ll go. Just forget this every happened.”
Gwynn’s face was pink with embarrassment as she turned away to hurry out of his office. That was the last thing that Lancaster wanted.
“Wait. Gwynn!” Lancaster stood up and rounded his desk. Gwynn turned back towards him and he stopped just a few feet away from her. “There’s this diner just down the street.” Lancaster blurted out, “The coffee’s not very good, but they make a pretty decent pecan pie.”
Gwynn’s smile reappeared and made Lancaster like he’d just done something amazing. “I cannot think of anything I would like more than a slice of pie, Detective.”
Lancaster grinned back at her. “Call me Harry.”